It’s really surprising, sometimes, the simple little things that can make our lives easier. For example, the throwaway plastic shopping bags we use at stores. You’d think they exist to make life easier and more convenient. But, they’re actually doing the exact opposite of that. I discovered this when I finally bought my own reusable shopping bags and decided to give up on the flimsy plastic ones.
I have a lot of issues with plastic bags. Of course, there’s the environmental argument. But, what about ME?? Are my own personal selfish reasons not just as important as saving the world from the scourge of plastic bags?
My selfish reasons for buying reusable shopping bags
For starters, if I don’t tie the crappy plastic bags closed when I load them into the car, they spill my groceries out. When I get home, I load the spilled groceries back into the junky bags and wear them inside. I look like a walking dumpster with 50 bags hanging off each arm because only 3-4 items can fit in each stupid plastic bag.
God forbid the bagger put more than 3 things in each bag or they’ll be breaking open and the bunched up handles cutting off the circulation to my fingers. Of course, after I put everything away I try to save the bags to use in the bathroom trash cans. But, what really happens is they just get everywhere and become clutter. I think some smart folks buy those plastic bag saver things… but, seriously, why not just buy a multi-use reusable bag with that money?
Flimsy plastic shopping bags aren’t actually convenient at all.
The plastic bag way is how it’s been for my entire life. We go shopping. We load our junk into junky bags. It seems like the normal thing to do and that the stores are helping us out by giving us these free bags for all our stuff. But, they’re not easy or convenient and they’re definitely not free. According to Wall Street Journal, It costs retailers $4 billion dollars a year to provide us with those bags. Who do you think is paying for that? We are.. consumers. We’re paying $4 billion dollars a year to use cheap, junky, inconvenient plastic bags that clutter up our houses and landfills and Earth. I don’t know about you, but for that amount of money I want a better bag. I want a multi-functional bag that I can use for shopping, for picnics, for beach days and other things.
Find a multi-functional reusable bag that fits your life.
So, I bought some. I searched for the perfect bags for me. I selected large bags that would hold a lot of items. The reusable bags I bought are sturdy and they zip closed. They’re not the cheapo dollar bags that grocery stores are pushing near the checkout line. Those things really look just as ridiculous and crappy as the plastic ones, in my opinion. No.. I want something durable, multi-functional, large, sturdy. Something actually good.
There’s a problem with that. I’m a freakin’ cheapskate. I do not like spending money. Why should I spend money on a bag when the store hands them out for free? (They’re not free) Because I’m fed up with them. I can’t take it anymore. I’m tired of these plastic bags and I think the earth is, too. Whoever thought they were a good idea is out of their mind. They’re horrible. There has to be a better way. I admit that I went all-in on my reusable bag purchase. I paid about $25 for two awesome bags.
Are reusable shopping bags worth it?
Yes, it was worth it. I’ll tell you why. My two awesome reusable bags are fantastic. First of all, they’re large enough to carry 5 or 6 times as much as a plastic bag. They are both very sturdy, insulated and zip closed. They are designed to evenly distribute the weight of contents to make them easy and comfortable to carry. I can use them for a wide variety of activities outside of shopping. I really love having these new bags as part of my shopping experience even without knowing I’m doing something that eliminates the release of thousands of plastic bags into the environment. When I add the environmental concern to my own selfish reasons for reusing these awesome bags, it’s just icing on the cake.